Terminology from Chapter 1.

It took me a while to wrap my brain around this chapter, both because I faced constant interruptions and because I had to adjust my thinking from a practical to theoretical view.  Once I did that (and locked my door), things did not seem nearly as complicated. 

Key concepts:

There are three over-arching elements of research:  1. the world view of the researcher/study, 2. the strategy of inquiry, and 3. research methods.

Four Worldviews: 

1. Postpositivist:  This seems the most "scientific" to me.  Postpositivists believe causes determine effects or outcomes.  They try to reduce ideas to a small set of "truths" to test, but they believe all research is flawed and you can never actually reach absolute truth.  Postpositivists develop a theory first, then test it, then revise the theory, then retest.  They are seeking truths while acknowledging the impossibility of finding it.

2.  Constructivisim:  This seems the most "natural" to me.  Constructivists believe that individuals make meaning based on their experience.  Therefor, meaning is subjective, varied, and multiple.  Researches look for complexity of views.  They ask broad, general questions, focus research on observation of discussions or interactions.  They also address the processes of interaction.  Their intent is to make sense of meanings; therefor, while they may begin with a general focus, they construct their theories based on their research results.

3.  Pragmatism:  I like the flexibility of pragmatism, since pragmatists do what works.  Pragmatists  focus on application in their research--they are looking for what solves problems or what works.  This approach draws from both qualitative and quantitative research methods, choosing those that work best for their research.  Research occurs in context, so that flexibility is important.  They also hold that "truth is what works at the time."

Interesting quotation from textbook:  "Pragmatists have believed in an external world independent of the mind as well as that lodged in the mind.  But they believe that we need to stop asking questions about reality and the laws of nature."  To me, this indicates that pragmatists feel the laws of nature or reality is pretty much fixed or beyond human control, so researching it further does not serve any true purpose.  They seem to have accepted this and chosen to focus on how human beings interact within those natural laws rather than questioning the laws themselves.  This just struck me as interesting.

Three Strategies of Inquiry:

1.  Quantitative:  Includes experimental designs (control group, etc.) and non-experimental, such as surveys.  There is an intent of generalizing data into findings/theory.  To be honest, this strategy makes my head hurt.  While I see the value in quantitative data in some cases, I have very little experience or expertise in analyzing this type of data and am far more interested in "what does this mean" than in the numbers themselves.  I may need to retrain my brain in this area.

2.  Qualitative.  Focuses on more "open ended" research strategies.  The text discussed five types. 

•  Ethnography refers to research done on an intact cultural group in their natural setting over a prolonged period, and research is conducted using observations and interviews.  This makes me think of Jane Goodall and the apes. 
• Grounded theory is so called because it is grounded in the views of the participants.  Researchers derive a general theory based on the participant views.  They collect data in multiple stages, comparing data with emerging categories and theoretical samplings.  In other words, they make sense of the information as it emerges rather than waiting until all data has been collected to develop theories.  Personally, I would find it very difficult to stop myself from drawing conclusions until all data had been collected.  I'd constantly be thinking "maybe this means" or "this is related to that because."  
• Case studies are in depth and occur over an extended period of time on one or more subject (the "seven" movies, that one study of nurses over decades).  
• Phenomenological Focuses on a small number of subjects bound by a common experience or phenomenon.  Interviews and observations are used over time.  Researchers set aside their own experiences.  Conclusions focus on patterns and relationships within collected data.
• Narrative involves the researches life and experiences as well as those of the subjects.  Researchers ask subjects to provide stories about their lives.  This information is retold by the researcher, who creates a collaborative narrative chronology.  This reminds me of documentary film making.

3.  Mixed Methods.  This strategy came about because researchers felt limited by a quantitative OR qualitative approach.   It allows researchers to use both research strategies/methods, using the two types of data to validate each other or focus/expand on findings.  There are three main types.

• Sequential, which seeks to elaborate or expand on findings from one method with another.  For example, a quantitative survey may shape open-ended questions in subsequent interviews.
• Concurrent, in which both types of data are collected at once.  Researchers attempt to converge or merge data to provide comprehensive analysis. 
• Transformative, which involves a "theoretical lens" as the overarching perspective within a design which includes both quantitative and qualitative data.  The lens provides the framework for topics, methods, and anticipated outcomes, and research could be sequential, concurrent, or both.  I am unclear on why this is its own category (other than being able to have both sequential and concurrent research).  Don't all studies involve a "theoretical lens"? 

At this point in the reading I felt like I had a pretty good grasp on these concepts.  The tables in the text were helpful in solidifying, clarifying, and differentiating these concepts.  Choosing which method to use depends largely on the research problem, the training of the researcher, and the intended audience for the research results.